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Canadiar CL-215


Leonl

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All,

After lurking for a long time with the occasional RFI post I thought I'd share my latest build as it progresses. Hopefully, there will be some shared learning along the way.

Ok, the kit. I spotted this a local show for £10, being an airframe I've had my an eye on for a while it was coming home with me.

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The plastic within is well moulded, if a little thick and quite hard. The surface detail is good the rivets appear in scale and not too over the top. This actually causes my first concern, undoubtedly I'm going to lose some of those rivets, how to reinstate them???

Ok, what I'm aiming for....

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I normally stick to military aircraft but being a fan of Ice Pilots I was instantly attracted to this aircraft.

So off we go. I've decided to open up the tanks and the crew door.

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I've replaced the lost plastic around the crew door with some poly strips, I'll think of adding some detail later. The water tank doors are too thick so I'll build up replacements later.

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Close up of the doors. I'll have to think how to get the raised rivets back on the replacement doors, but otherwise they should be straight forward.

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Before that I need to build up the water tanks. This won't do...

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The actual tanks look like this....

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I've done some work on the crew door, tidied the window frame and started the work on the tank. I'll be focusing on the tank for the immediate future as this needs to be done before I can close up the fuselage.

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The tanks are progressing and should look ok once in situ...

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That's all for now.... Family duty awaits!

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Hi Leonl,

It's a nice kit to build but I did find it tail heavy. I think I put something like 8 pennies in mine but it wasn't enough weight.

Remember most parts fitting well other than trying to fit the bottom of the bowplane/fuselage in place correctly.

Cheers,

foresterab

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Have you considered Archer transfers to replace the rivets?

I hadn't, didn't even know of their existence... I've take a look at those. Thanks.

Hi Leonl,

It's a nice kit to build but I did find it tail heavy. I think I put something like 8 pennies in mine but it wasn't enough weight.

Remember most parts fitting well other than trying to fit the bottom of the bowplane/fuselage in place correctly.

Cheers,

foresterab

It is frustrating that the instructions do not give any indication of the weight required. I'll get hold of some used wheel balancing weights and put as many that'll fit in there. (Oh and strengthen the nose wheel ha ha!!)...

I have that kit, and a decal sheet by Leading Edge I think that covers most of that scheme in that I don't think it has the Buffalo title,

so following along

Well done on obtaining the Leading Edge decal sheet, they're like hens teeth, I've been hunting for nearly a year for a set. Luckily I have a friend who has a talent for all things decal! I intend to airbrush the basic markings and decal the rest.

A may get a further update on later if time allows...

Leon

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Leonl, on 02 Nov 2015 - 05:20 AM, said:

It is frustrating that the instructions do not give any indication of the weight required. I'll get hold of some used wheel balancing weights and put as many that'll fit in there. (Oh and strengthen the nose wheel ha ha!!)...

Look no farther than Scale Aircraft Conversions for all your strong landing gear needs :)

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I have that kit, and a decal sheet by Leading Edge I think that covers most of that scheme in that I don't think it has the Buffalo title,

so following along

Lucky you for having the peas and carrots CL'215 decals. Unlikely ever to be re issued as Dave at Leading Edge is on a wind down and not producing any more of his wonderful decals.

Re the white metal undercart, I have used them on my refurbed 215 with the Ontario based 215 that LEM did. I too will follow this build. Re the Buffalo titles note that the lettering is in two shades of green so a scan of the pic and printing your own titles will help.

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Look no farther than Scale Aircraft Conversions for all your strong landing gear needs :)

I'm beginning to think that you are the 'go to' person for tips and gadgets..!

Quick update tonight due a mystery oily substance that appeared on the workstation/cutting mat.... The usual suspects (the kids) denied any knowledge... Hmm a cover up I think!!!!

Anyway, managed to tidy up some of the ejector marks on the inner fuselage.

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Also did some work on the back of the tank hatch, it was looking a bit messy after cutting the hatch open.

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Right back to the mystery of the oil...

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Lucky you for having the peas and carrots CL'215 decals. Unlikely evr to be re issued as Dave at Leading Edge is on a wind down and not producing any more of his wonderful decals.

Re the white metal undercart, I have used them on my refurbed 215 with the Ontario based 215 that LEM did. I too will follow this build. Re the Buffalo titles note that the lettering is in two shades of green so a scan of the pic and printing uour own titles will help.

We did, that is a fellow club member and I, try to contact LED but soon gathered that we'd have to consider other options!

Leon

Edited by Leonl
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What makes it doubly frustrating is that both Newfoundland and the nwt both used the pees and carrots scheme.

There are also Buffalo cl215 in a yellow scheme but that's more boring.

There's a pby Catalina scheme out there but not sure if it could be adapted or not.

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The NWT 'Peas and Carrots' 215s are probably ex 'Newfie' aircraft bought by Buffalo for refurbs and onward sale or their own use in the fire fighting role during the summer months I suspect.

Canmilair do the Catalina ( I have the 1/144 set for my Minicraft project some time) in the same scheme for any scale but not sure if he does any Cl-215/415 decals.

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What makes it doubly frustrating is that both Newfoundland and the nwt both used the pees and carrots scheme.

There are also Buffalo cl215 in a yellow scheme but that's more boring.

There's a pby Catalina scheme out there but not sure if it could be adapted or not.

Very true, try as I might no joy in finding a set though.

The NWT 'Peas and Carrots' 215s are probably ex 'Newfie' aircraft bought by Buffalo for refurbs and onward sale or their own use in the fire fighting role during the summer months I suspect.

Canmilair do the Catalina ( I have the 1/144 set for my Minicraft project some time) in the same scheme for any scale but not sure if he does any Cl-215/415 decals.

Hmm that might be worth a look...thanks.

Interestingly, the aircraft and its sister have been spending some time near me in South Wales for refurb for a few months. Not sure if they have departed, it was certainly being flight tested a few weeks ago..

Hello Leon,

Love to see this Heller Canadair CL build.

Some kind of a Déjà vu, (I have build the Heller CL415 variant in Italian colors with decals from Ïtalian Kits Decals).

http://www.plakkers-inc.nl/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2330&start=30

Will follow your tread.

Succes with the build!

You've set the bar very high Grover, some excellent work on the CL415.

No work to report tonight. My son's fencing night....

Want to get on and finish the internal structure for the water tanks. Still not happy with the tank openings so will address that too....

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Good work so far.....

Thank you very much... Hopefully more to come!

Interesting project I'll follow along to if you don't mind

Roger

Don't mind if you do...

I'll hopefully have a more detailed update after the weekend. A busy week is getting in the way of some serious modelling time....

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Nice project Leoni mind if I pull up a chair ? :popcorn: Be nice if there was one in 1/48 I do like sea planes.

Guy

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All,

I calling the internal work on the water tanks done now, just need to paint. It has been a lot of work for something that can't really been seen. Oh well, I guess that not the point really.

Here we have the main tank area, the upper bulk heads and the hatch door actuator gear.

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Dry fitting, once closed up it look something like this without the gap at the trailing edge. I think I may do some work on the shape of the hatch too. It looks a bit irregular. Not sure of the best way though. I'm thinking poly strips to get the straight edge then shape the corners. Any other ideas out there?

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That's all for now and thanks...

Edited by Leonl
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  • 1 month later...

Time to post an update. With the preparations for Christmas progress has been slow but it is progressing...

I wanted to tidy up the water chutes. Using some polystyrene strip I lined the opening and filled the gaps. The camera hides nothing! I need to do some some work to tidy the edges. Although I'm pleased the shape it looks about right...

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Time to do some work on the interior. First up is to scratch build the tank you can see in the background, I think it may be a flame retrardant tank?

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I found an unused 1/48 scale bomb in the spares box and had an idea...

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I figure that a little surgery can get what we need... Firstly I remove the fins and the rear end of the bomb. I crash moulded a dome by using the opposite end of the bomb.... Grafted it together added some paint and here we go.

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Just need to add the filler caps and once installed I can add the pipe work.

Now on to the the interior. Firstly there are some gaps to sort out where the overflows meet the fuselage skin.... As can be seen here.

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Some poly sheet to fill those gaps and after some paint and starting to get somewhere....

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Fuselage halves painted and I'm off the work on the cockpit and the sub assembles...

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Thanks for dropping by another update will follow shortly....

Edited by Leonl
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  • 1 month later...

Ok it's been a while since I posted an update. Partly due to pressures of time but mainly because Photobucket has not been playing nicely!!

Anyway, we have some progress. I managed to get some modelling done over the Christmas period but not as much as I'd like... Here we go...

This is the completed scratch built internal structure for the water tanks. Now that it's painted and weathered I'm quite happy...

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Next is the various internal bits and pieces, seats, IP, bulkheads etc...

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Now time to close up the fuselage....

Here are the water tanks all closed up. Not sure if the picture captures it very well, in reality IMHO, it has turned out better than I expected! Happy days!!

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Now closed up and with the bits and bobs in place. I've decided not to go too crazy on the interior as not much will be visible once closed up. I've added some detail such as the throttle levers and flame retardant tank. I think that's enough.... to do more only insanity awaits!

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Some final pictures of the various bits added, flame retardant tank, pipe work and control columns.

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I'm busy working on the seems right now. I have managed to remove a lot of the rivets/surface detail, as expected. Though thanks to Jessica I have ordered some Archers rivet details which look quite impressive. That is until I open the packet!! any tips on using them would gratefully accepted...

I'll try to get another update out sooner, not much to see right now all filler and dust!!! I don't enjoy sorting the seems out... but worth it in the end.

Thanks all...

Leon

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